Safe Haven
by royalkaiju
Summary: RWBY Apocalyptic AU


Her entire body ached. Pyrrha tried to wipe the crusted and dried blood from her cheek, but it crumbled when she touched it with mud covered palms.

A small sigh came from her shaking lips as she stopped, the metal of her armor having dug into the back of her knees and her thighs for the last mile. All of her training never prepared her for this. Everything went to hell so fast and she lost everyone. JNPR has split and she's spent the last 3 days searching for them, moving from house to house, retail store to bakery, anywhere she would think of them to go. Even their old dorm was empty.

The fatigue was setting into the red-head's bones every time she would stop, but she had to rest at some point. A roaring laugh echoed from her, shaking her entire body. She was back. Back to the days before Beacon, before Nora and Lie Rin and Jaune. Back to when it was just her.

It was such a cold feeling, one she had thought she had left far behind her.

By the time Pyrrha stopped laughing, she was sitting on the ground, legs outstretched and shoulders rolled back. God, she missed them.

It was like she was cursed, even her name haunted her. Pyrrha, daughter of Pandora, survived by building a raft with her husband when Zeus wanted to end the world. Where was her raft? how much longer until the flood? How much longer until there was at least a sprinkle of rain? surely she deserved at least a drop of water that didn't come from puffy eyes.

Pyrrha was sure to look around before she stood, hands gripped around Milo so tight that her knuckles turned white. Even the dry earth was begining to crumble with her steps.

She spun her spear in her hand as she walked, following the line of trees to her left and the rough and cracked pavement to her right. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she knew that she would have to find it soon. Her team had to be smart enough to look for it too.

The red head's heart skipped when she heard it. Water, it had to be, and it was moving just slow enough to bubble instead of rush.

She was quick to break into a sprint, listening to the sound until she was right on top of it, already sliding out of her armor and taking her hair down. A bath was long due.

Pyrrha used the last bit of strength she had to position a rock in the middle of the stream, using it as a seat after she had completely stripped.

The water was ice cold as it licked at her hips, coming up the the base of her rib cage as she sat, cupping water in her hands and dropping it on her shoulders. God it felt so good, and the chill numbed the aches in her body, allowing her to fully relax and just listen to the way the water rippled around her as she moved. One hand gripped at the stone below her and the other pinched her nose as Pyrrha laid back, completely submerging herself in the water. Even just having the water made the huntress feel better, watching the water carry the mud and dried blood downstream from her.

Pyrrha sat, listening contently to the soft lull of the creek, red hair floating along the top of the water.

A small shuffle of dirt caught the girls attention and she stood, ready to spring for Milo, but it was much to fast to be one of Them. She heard the small mumble of a swear, and she was quick to sink back into the water, hiding her exposed body. Emerald eyes searched for any sign of movement, listening to anything and trying to block out the sound of the water.

A laugh? it couldn't have been...that arrogant and second-guessing air that only came from one person. She had to be sure before she made too much noise. Pyrrha moved, allowing herself to sit back on her stone, listening as she moved slowly, trying not to make too much noise as she let the water slide down her naturally tanned skin.

There it was again, but it wasn't by itself. It had to be, it just had to, they were smart enough to follow the trees too.

Pyrrha let a small sigh escape from her lips as she finished up her bath, listening for the unmistakable crunching of feet on gravel.

It came much faster then she expected, and the voice that came with it made her heart skip.

"Pyrrha?"

The smile spread across her face like lightning.

"Jaune!"

She was quick to stand, allowing her excitement to take over as her feet found the rock she was using as a seat. Pyrrha soon turned dark red as she realized her current position.

She was stark naked, dripping wet, and in front of the boy she loved with the rest of her team in tow behind him.


End file.
